Renewed Hope: X-Raying BTO’S Effectiveness And Efficiency In Interior Ministry.

Renewed Hope: X-Raying BTO’S Effectiveness And Efficiency In Interior Ministry.

By: Jamiu Julius ADEBAYO

Olubunmi Tunji Ojo popularly known as BTO is the Honourable Minister of Interior. He’s emerged as a dynamic force in the Renewed Hope administration. Under 50 days of being inaugurated as Minister, he’s tenure has already been marked by a series of commendable achievements, which have revitalized critical sectors under his purview.

One of the most notable accomplishments of BTO lies in the effective resolution of the longstanding passport backlog. Under his guidance, the Ministry of Interior has undertaken a concerted effort to streamline and expedite the passport issuance process. This accomplishment not only alleviates a significant burden on citizens but also showcases the Minister's commitment to efficient and citizen-centric governance as promised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

Fundamentally, BTO's astute leadership has injected new vigor into the firefighting department. By providing the necessary resources and strategic direction, he has empowered this crucial sector to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies. This demonstrates his keen understanding of the importance of a robust emergency response infrastructure for public safety.

Additionally, the immigration service has received clear and decisive guidance from Minister Ojo, outlining the standards and expectations for its operations. This proactive approach ensures that immigration services are carried out efficiently, transparently, and in accordance with established norms. It exemplifies the Minister's dedication to maintaining order and security within the nation's borders.

Also, the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has experienced a revitalization under Minister Ojo's stewardship. By emphasizing their constitutional responsibilities, he has reinvigorated this vital agency, enabling it to play a more effective role in safeguarding the nation's critical infrastructure and resources.

What distinguishes BTO is not only his administrative acumen but also his palpable passion for public service. His youthful energy and unwavering commitment to the betterment of Nigeria's internal affairs have resonated with citizens across the nation. This passion has translated into tangible results, as seen in the transformative changes within the Ministry of Interior.

In conclusion, Honourable Minister, Olubunmi Tunji -Ojo, has emerged as a beacon of progress and transformation in the realm of interior affairs. His accomplishments in clearing the passport backlog, fortifying the firefighting department, aligning the immigration service, and reinvigorating the NSCDC are testaments to his effective and visionary leadership. With his boundless passion for public service, Minister Ojo stands as a formidable force in driving positive change within the Ministry of Interior and beyond.

#JAYJAM

#BTOIsWorking

President Tinubu Appoints New PTDF Executive Secretary /CEO.

President Tinubu Appoints New PTDF Executive Secretary /CEO.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Ahmed Galadima Aminu to serve as the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for a term of four (4) years in the first instance.

The new Executive Secretary / CEO of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund has most recently served as the General Manager of the Education and Training Department at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund.

His appointment trails the application for retirement submitted by the outgoing Executive Secretary / CEO, Bello Aliyu Gusau, to proceed on 90-days pre-retirement leave beginning on September 26, 2023.

The President has directed the new Executive Secretary / CEO of the PTDF, Ahmed Galadima Aminu, to serve in acting capacity until he commences his fresh term of four (4) years in office, beginning on December 26, 2023.

The President wishes the new PTDF Executive Secretary / CEO well in the discharge of his duties.

Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission Chairman Meets with PASAN Representatives.

Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission Chairman Meets with PASAN Representatives.

By: Comr. Olamide Akinwumi J. 

Today, on the 17th of October 2023, at the State House of Assembly complex in Ekiti State, the Chairman of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission, Hon. Engr. Fasakin Kayode Ajayi, and fellow commissioners convened for a significant meeting with representatives of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).

During the gathering, Hon. Engr. Fasakin Kayode Ajayi, who brings invaluable insights from his prior service as a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, expressed his deep appreciation for the diligent and efficient bureaucracy that plays a pivotal role within the Assembly. He emphasized the vital importance of a knowledgeable and effective bureaucracy in supporting the House of Assembly in its legislative duty of creating laws for the peace, order, and good governance of Ekiti State.

One of the key objectives during his tenure as Chairman of the Assembly Commission is to enhance the capabilities of the Assembly bureaucracy. To achieve this, the Commission will prioritize continuous training and retraining for Assembly staff, encouraging them to develop their knowledge and skills. While the Commission is committed to addressing issues related to staff welfare, it will maintain a strict stance against indolence, truancy, or any forms of indiscipline.

The open-door policy that Hon. Engr. Fasakin Kayode Ajayi intends to run means that the PASAN leadership is always encouraged to seek his counsel whenever necessary. Furthermore, as the Commission begins its tenure, any specific issues or requests from PASAN can be submitted as a memo, ensuring that such memos will be duly considered.

Present during the meeting were several key PASAN executives, including Chairman Comrade Oluwajuyigbe Gbenga, Comrade Olaoye Thomas, Comrade Adeluka Temitope, Comrade Olajubu Bosede, Comrade Akerele Muyiwa, Comrade Owaseni Sunday, Comrade Olawale Kemi, Comrade Adeeko Yinka, Comrade Alonge Olubunmi, Comrade Atitebi Charles, Comrade Boluwade Abimbola, Comrade Seketeri Anthony, and Comrade Olagundoye Femi.

The meeting served as a platform for constructive discussions and laid the foundation for collaborative efforts that aim to enhance the efficiency of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

President Tinubu Appoints New NAHCON Chief Executive Officer; Approves Dissolution Of NAHCON Board.

President Tinubu Appoints New NAHCON Chief Executive Officer; Approves Dissolution Of NAHCON Board.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi to serve as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for a term of four (4) years in the first instance.

The President has directed the outgoing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, to proceed on 3-months pre-retirement leave as provisioned by Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243 with effect from October 18, 2023, leading to his eventual retirement from service on January 17, 2023.

The new Chairman / CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi, will assume office in acting capacity on October 18, 2023, and will continue to serve in substantive capacity for a fresh term of four years, beginning on January 17, 2023.

President Bola Tinubu has also approved the dissolution of the Board of NAHCON.

The President expects that the new NAHCON leadership will serve in reverence of Allah and with utmost adherence to the precepts of service according to the Holy Qur'an.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 17, 2023

Nigeria, China Strategic Partnership Key To Africa's Development - VP Shettima.

Nigeria, China Strategic Partnership Key To Africa's Development - VP Shettima.

....Says President Tinubu's foreign policy drive boosting investors' confidence.

Vice President Kashim Shettima said today that Nigeria's strategic partnership with China needs to be scaled up, as it remains key to Africa's development. 

This, he assured, is in progress on the part of Nigeria, just as he said since assuming office, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has strategically tinkered with the country's foreign policy to drive and boost investors' confidence.

To augment this, the Vice President noted that President Tinubu has walked the talk by creating levellers for the ease of doing business in Nigeria. 

The Vice President who is representing President Tinubu at the ongoing Belt And Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, stated this when he was hosted by his People's Republic of China counterpart, Vice President Han Zheng, at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, Beijing. 

He expressed profound gratitude for the warm reception accorded his delegation, noting that Nigeria and China, having celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2021, must now take their destinies into their own hands. 

Declaring that the rest of Africa stands to gain from a successful Nigeria, VP Kashim Shettima said, "Our mutually beneficial relationship will be further enhanced and upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership. 

"Nigeria is China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa; it is the largest economy in Africa and the most populous country in the African continent. The Belt and Road Initiative is a big beautiful concept that can be deployed to achieve this". 

The Vice President drew attention to the burgeoning relationship between Nigeria and China, stating that both countries stood to gain mutually from their friendship.

On his part, Vice President Zheng assured his Nigerian counterpart of continued partnership with Nigeria, hinting that President Jinping's meeting with VP Kashim Shettima would enhance political mutual trust, advance practical cooperation and better develop the bilateral relation between the two countries. 

Vice President Kashim Shettima was later a guest at the State Banquet hosted by President Jinping and his wife, Madame Peng Liyuan. 

In the meantime, attention and focus would shift to the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Initiative Forum at the Great Hall in Beijing billed for tomorrow. 

VP Kashim Shettima is expected to proceed to the National Convention Centre to deliver his Paper titled, "Digital Economy As A New Source Of Growth". 

A bilateral meeting with the Chinese President and Prime Minister of Pakistan is also on the VP's itinerary, just as he and other members of his delegation will be presiding over meetings with management of top construction, technology, finance and communication giants in China.

Protect Govt Facilities in Your Domain, Oyebanji Urges Ekiti Citizens.

Protect Govt Facilities in Your Domain, Oyebanji Urges Ekiti Citizens.

....restores power supply to  towns after 15 years blackout.

Resolute to boost local economy and propel the industrial development via robust growth of Small, and  Medium Scale Enterprises(SMEs) in Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, has charged Ekiti citizens to protect all public utilities in their domains to safeguard government infrastructure from being destroyed.

The Governor also said  his government would not tolerate the idea of towns being left in perpetual power outage for a period of 15 years, describing this as a potential danger that can cripple businesses and shore up the poverty level in the state. 

Oyebanji spoke on Tuesday in Ikogosi Ekiti, while commissioning  the extension of the 132/133KVA power substation from Omisanjana in Ado Ekiti to reconnect the town back to the national grid after years of power outage.

The Governor said the 33KV electrification project , which 

covers 19km radius and stretched from 132 KV TCN Sub-Station at Omisanjana to connect Erijiyan and  Ikogosi-Ekiti needed protection to spur business activities along that axis.

"I wish to urge our people to see all public infrastructures within their communities as their property and to jealously guard and protect them from vandalisation. They must also be prepared to pay for electricity usage", Oyebanji pleaded.

Oyebanji, who described electricity supply as an impetus and a major boost to the growth of SMEs, said  this unflagging view accounted for why the government places high premium on reconnection of towns experiencing lingering power outage across the state. 

He lamented that a town housing one the state’s business concern was without power supply for years, saying that connecting the town back to the national grid would boost the water bottling company as well as the tourism potentials of the area. 

He said: "For us, electricity is a critical infrastructure in our Ekiti development agenda.  It is indeed, the circulatory artery upon which the Ekiti industrial agenda can be kept alive. Without power any talk of industrialization remains an empty wish, it is for this reason that we made it a major priority in our Six  Pillars of Administration. 

"When we came on board, the power infrastructure audit of the State indicated that many communities had been without electricity for many years, ranging from 6-15 years. We also noticed that a critical factor that had bedeviled Ikogosi Warm Spring and Resorts and the Gossy Bottling Company was the absence of sustainable power supply and without connecting these facilities to the national grid, it would remain a mere pipe dream and the venture unprofitable.

"In our bid to find a lasting solution, it was observed that there was a 140MVA transformer at the 132KV TCN Sub-Station at Omisanjana, Ado Ekiti out of which only 80MVA transformer was being utilised while 60MVA transformer was underutilized due to lack of a corridor to evacuate the energy to.

"To fully utilize the 140 KV supply to the Sub-Station and to proffer a lasting solution to the electricity supply challenge in the industrial and tourism zone of Ikogosi-Ipole-Iloro, we constructed a 5KM long 33KV line from the Sub-Station at Omisanjana to Baptist High School, Ado Ekiti to link Ilawe line. 

"From Ilawe, we constructed another 14kKM long of a 33KV line to Erijiyan Ekiti. In addition,  we also rehabilitated an existing 33KV line from Erijiyan to Ikogosi industrial and tourism zone to energize the Ikogosi town, the resort, Gossy Water  company and Ipole-Iloro line. 

"With this, the 140 KV supply from the national grid which was hitherto underutilized is now fully put to profitable use.  With the completion of this project, the communities targeted are already enjoying improved power supply to this zone". 

The Governor added that apart from improved standard of living to the people of the area m, the economic benefits to the people are enormous. " I want  to assure other communities in darkness that by the special grace of God, light will shine over them soon", he added. 

The Governor assured that  his administration will put all hands on the plough to drive development across all the towns in the state to ward off incidence of neglect being suffered by some communities.

Describing the achievement as one of the flagships of the Oyebanji administration and very strategic to the development of the state, the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, revealed that the project will benefit all the towns and industries located along Ado-Ilawe-Ikogosi route.

Prof Aluko said Ipole Iloro would soon be  reconnected to the national grid through Iwaji-Efon Alaaye axis to boost economy of the town, saying the contracts to actualise this had already been signed by the state government.

The Managing Director of Gossy Water Bottling Company, Gbemileke Otun, stated that  the power reconnection project will help in solving perennial power interruption that has been hindering optimal operations of the firm.

"Our company was shut down for three years due to poor elecricity supply. At a point, we were getting discouraged. But with this project, we will expand and have the spirit to explore other opportunities that abound in Ekiti State". 

The representatives of Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort Centre, a flourishing hospitality business, Mr.  Lanre Balogun, described the feat as unprecedented, saying the company spends a whopping sum of N12 million monthly on power generation. 

"This shows that Mr Governor is giving our company a sum of N12m monthly and you know what this can  do in the life of this company. If you have leaders like Governor Oyebanji, Nigeria will be one of the best in the world . He is a man of his words and we are pleased with him". 

Speaking for the benefiting communities, the Olohan of Erinjiyan Ekiti, Oba Omoseebi Adegoroye, applauded Governor Oyebanji  for placing high premium on boosting local economy, saying all the towns are indebted to the current government in terms of support in all spheres.

It is recalled that several communities erupted in wild jubilation last week during the test- running of the electricity project, ahead of Tuesday’s commissioning. 

Aside towns in Ekiti West Local Government, several towns in Ayekire and Ekiti East local government areas of the state are also beneficiaries of the electricity project of the Oyebanji government.

EKSG Summons Surveyors, Lawyers to Resolve 60-yr old Ado/Ilawe Land Crisis.

EKSG Summons Surveyors, Lawyers to Resolve 60-yr old Ado/Ilawe Land Crisis.

In a desperate attempt to resolve the 60- year old land tussle between Ado and Ilawe Ekiti, the Ekiti State government, yesterday summoned the lawyers and surveyors of the two feuding towns to shed light on how the matter will be tackled to avoid rancour and bad blood.

The government, said the action became imperative following unraveling of documents that needed to be viewed with intellectual and mental expertise of these professionals representing the two disputing communities  and their counterparts in the public service.

The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, gave the directive  in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, while mediating in a 60- year old land dispute between Ilawe- Ekiti and Odo, a vassal community to Ado Ekiti township.

The Deputy Governor, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje,  frowned at the  reported cases of assaults being experienced on the encumbered land, despite the stringent warning that nobody should trespass on the land until the matter is finally resolved.

"Available records shows that this land dispute began in 1963, but we have to try and lay it to rest. Ado and Ilawe Ekiti are one and it is the love and unity that had existed between you that must be the guiding principle in this matter.

"We won't wait until you start killing yourself before taking actions. Governor Biodun Oyebanji is a promoter of peace and unity and nobody will be allowed to jeopardise his efforts in this regard.

"We are giving you an ultimatum of two weeks to bring your surveyors and lawyers to work with experts with the Ministry of Justice and  our Land dispute Resolution Technical Committee to look at all the available documents.

"These experts will also guide us on all former documented agreements you had entered into since 1971 on that land to know the direction we are going to toe for speedy resolution of this crisis".

The  Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, appreciated the government for being zealous in resolving  the crisis, claiming that  his town through the Ekiti South Local Government, had paid for a portion of that contentious area of the  land going by available documentation.  

The monarch, represented by Elemo of Oke -Emo, Chief Gbenga Agbona, promised to abide by the verdict passed by government , so that the matter can be resolved expeditiously.

The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, represented by Akitipa of Odo Community, Chief Ademola Adepoju, applauded the government for being impartial in the resolution of the crisis.

Oba Adejugbe  pledged that his people will abide by the government's instruction and comply with all directives that would avert bloodshed or violence over the land tussle.